The Journal of Science, Technology, Education, Art, and Medicine (J-STEAM) considers scholarly work across science, technology, education, art, and medicine, especially work that connects these fields with clinical practice, public health, biomedical research, and health education. Submit a complete manuscript through https://jsteam.org/signin/. Read the article type, file, reporting, ethics, and fee requirements below before submission.
Submissions should present a clear question, appropriate methods or critical synthesis, and a contribution relevant to the journal’s interdisciplinary readership. J-STEAM may decline work outside its stated aims and scope at initial screening. Research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications, and letters or correspondence are considered; editorials are by invitation.
Article type | Main text (max) | Abstract | Tables + figures (max) | References (max) |
Original research | 4,000 words | Structured, 250 words | 5 | 30 |
Systematic review, with or without meta-analysis | 6,000 words | Structured, 250 words | 5 | 100 |
Narrative review | 6,000 words | Unstructured, 250 words | 5 | 100 |
Case report | 1,500 words | Unstructured, 150 words | 5 | 20 |
Short communication | 1,500 words | Structured, 200 words | 5 | 20 |
Letter to the Editor | 500 words | None | Normally none | 5 |
Editorial (invited or guest) | 1,500 words | None | 1 | 10 |
Word limits exclude the title page, abstract, references, tables, figure legends, and supplementary files. Editors may allow more words or displays when the content justifies it; say so in the cover letter. A case series with formal comparative analysis should be submitted as original research. Article type and applicable APC are confirmed before peer review.
The corresponding author submits all files through the online system at https://jsteam.org/signin/. Do not email a manuscript as the primary submission. English must be clear and consistent; either British or American spelling is acceptable if used consistently.
State the study’s contribution and fit, article type, confirmation that the work is not under simultaneous review or previously published, related preprints or overlapping papers, trial registration where applicable, and any waiver request. Explain any unusual ethics or registration circumstances.
Full and running title; every author’s name, affiliation, email and ORCID if available; corresponding author’s email and postal contact; author contributions; acknowledgments; funding; conflicts of interest; any identifying ethics information that would reveal authorship; abstract word count; main-text word count; and numbers of tables and figures.
Title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, captions, and relevant nonidentifying declarations. Remove names, institutions, acknowledgments, self-identifying file properties, and identifying repository links. Replace only genuinely identifying ethics details with “details supplied separately for peer review”; supply the complete details on the title page and restore them in the accepted article.
Signed Letter of Undertaking from all authors, and ethics approval or waiver documentation where applicable. Supply publication consent for identifiable case details or images if requested by the editorial office; do not place unredacted personal records in reviewer files.
Separate original-resolution figure files and any reporting checklist, flow diagram, protocol, permission letter, or supplementary material relevant to the work. Name files by figure or supplement number.
A revised submission should include a clean manuscript, a marked version showing changes, and a point-by-point response to every reviewer and editor comment. Keep author identities out of reviewer-facing response files.
The editorial office checks every submission for scope, completeness, adherence to these guidelines, and similarity with published work. Manuscripts are screened with iThenticate and Turnitin. A high similarity score is not an automatic rejection, but editors review every match. Manuscripts with plagiarism, including self-plagiarism or redundant publication, are rejected, and the COPE flowcharts are followed.
J-STEAM uses double-anonymized peer review: reviewers do not know the authors’ identities, and authors do not know the reviewers’ identities. Each research article, review, case report, and short communication is evaluated by at least two independent external reviewers with relevant expertise. Letters to the Editor and editorials are reviewed by the editors. Full details: Peer Review Process.
The handling editor makes the decision based on the reviews: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers.
Editors and reviewers with a conflict of interest are excluded from handling the manuscript. Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief or by editorial board members are handled independently by another editor, and the submitting editor has no access to the review process.
Authors may appeal a decision within 30 days, as described in our Editorial Policies.
J-STEAM publishes two issues a year, in June and December. Each article shows its received, accepted, and published dates.
Stage | Typical time |
Initial editorial check | 2–3 weeks after submission |
First decision after peer review | 10–11 weeks after submission |
Publication after acceptance | Online in the next issue, 4–6 weeks after acceptance and payment |
Average, submission to acceptance | 25–26 weeks |
Use an editable Word (.docx), OpenDocument (.odt), or RTF file, a single column, a standard 12 point font, page numbers, and continuous line numbers. Use readable spacing and headings; typesetting into the journal’s published two-column PDF occurs after acceptance. Put tables near their first mention or at the end of the file, and upload figures separately. Define abbreviations on first use in the abstract and again in the text. Report SI units where appropriate, generic drug names, and manufacturer details when relevant to reproducibility.
Make the title specific and identify the design when this aids interpretation (for example, randomized trial, cross-sectional study, systematic review, or case report). Avoid claims of causation unsupported by the design. Provide three to five keywords; use MeSH terms for health subjects when suitable and plain disciplinary keywords where MeSH does not apply.
Original research and short communications should use Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusion in the abstract. Systematic reviews should use the same structure and include the number of included studies. The abstract should give the actual sample, principal numerical findings and important limitations; do not add uncited claims or references. Narrative reviews and case reports use one paragraph. Letters and correspondence do not require an abstract. Clinical trial registration number goes at the end of the abstract when applicable.
Original research normally follows Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Methods should identify the setting and dates, sampling, measurements, ethics and consent, prespecified outcomes, statistical methods, missing-data handling, and registration where relevant. Results should present denominators, effect estimates with uncertainty such as 95% confidence intervals, and adverse outcomes as appropriate. Discussion should address limitations and distinguish associations from causal effects. Review articles should explain search and selection methods at a level suitable to their type; case reports should give a timeline, diagnostic reasoning, intervention, follow-up, and patient perspective when available.
Use the current reporting checklist appropriate to the study and upload a completed checklist with page references. Common examples are CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational research, PRISMA for systematic reviews, CARE for case reports, STARD for diagnostic accuracy, TRIPOD or TRIPOD+AI for prediction models, ARRIVE for animal studies, and an appropriate guideline for nonrandomized interventions. Select the current version and relevant extension at https://www.equator-network.org/. A checklist improves reporting but does not replace the underlying design or ethics requirements.
Cite and number every table and figure in order. Give tables editable text, concise titles, clear denominators and units, and footnotes defining abbreviations and statistical symbols; avoid vertical gridlines and repeated results already described in prose. Submit figures as separate TIFF, PNG, JPEG, or vector PDF/SVG files with legible lettering; photographs should ordinarily be at least 300 dpi at final print size, and line drawings should remain crisp after reduction. State any image adjustments and never modify an image in a way that changes its meaning. Remove identifying information unless explicit consent for publication has been obtained. Identify reused or adapted material and supply the rights holder’s permission if required; CC BY licensing of the resulting paper does not automatically relicense third-party material. Give supplementary items descriptive filenames and refer to them in the text.
J-STEAM uses a numbered Vancouver/NLM reference list, consistent with its published articles. Assign a number when a source is first cited and reuse that number for every later mention. Use superscript Arabic numerals after punctuation: “The association was observed.¹, ²” Separate nonconsecutive numbers with commas; for a consecutive sequence use a range, for example ³–⁶. Number references appearing only in a table or figure legend in the sequence established when that table or figure is first cited in the text. List references once, in numeric order, at the end of the manuscript. Authors may be named in the sentence, but their reference number must still be supplied.
For one to six authors, give every author; for seven or more, give the first six followed by “et al.” Write each surname followed by the author’s initials as indexed, with no periods between initials. Use sentence case for article, chapter and book titles, retaining proper names and acronyms. Abbreviate journal names using the NLM Catalog; if no NLM abbreviation exists, use a verified standard or the journal’s official title rather than inventing an abbreviation. Include the year; volume(issue):page span or article number; and the verified DOI in the form “doi:10.xxxx/…” when available. Do not add an unverified DOI, URL or page range. Single-space the numbered reference list and leave a blank line between entries.
Use sources relevant to each claim, including primary studies, authoritative reports, guidelines and datasets as appropriate. Recent work should be represented where relevant, while older foundational studies may remain. Verify citation details against the published source, check retraction status, and avoid citing an abstract when the full work is available. Accepted but unpublished papers may be cited as “Forthcoming” with a DOI if assigned. Identify preprints explicitly. Personal communications and unaccepted or unpublished observations belong in the text only when necessary, with the source’s permission. An oral conference presentation belongs in the cover letter rather than the reference list unless its paper or proceedings were published.
The following formats follow the sound rules in the FUJD Reference Guide and the J-STEAM published article. Examples marked “template” demonstrate punctuation only; authors must replace every bracketed field with verified details. Published J-STEAM article references supply the first three examples. FUJD sample citations with incorrect bibliographic details have not been reused.
Journal article, six authors: Ciotti M, Ciccozzi M, Terrinoni A, Jiang WC, Wang CB, Bernardini S. The COVID-19 pandemic. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2020;57(6):365-88. doi:10.1080/10408363.2020.1783198.
Journal article, seven or more authors: Witter S, Thomas S, Topp SM, Barasa E, Chopra M, Cobos D, et al. Health system resilience: a critical review and reconceptualisation. Lancet Glob Health. 2023;11(9):e1454-e1458. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00279-6.
Journal article, article number: Stoltzfus M, Kaur A, Chawla A, Gupta V, Anamika FNU, Jain R. The role of telemedicine in healthcare: an overview and update. Egypt J Intern Med. 2023;35(1):49. doi:10.1186/s43162-023-00234-z.
Online journal article without DOI: Tasdemir T, Yesilyurt C, Ceyhanli KT, Celik D, Er K. Evaluation of apical filling after root canal filling by 2 different techniques. J Can Dent Assoc [Internet]. 2009 Apr [cited 2026 Sep 24];75(3):201a-201d. Available from: https://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-75/issue-3/201.html
Online journal article with DOI: Puri S, O’Brian MR. The hmuQ and hmuD genes from Bradyrhizobium japonicum encode heme-degrading enzymes. J Bacteriol. 2006;188(18):6476-82. doi:10.1128/JB.00737-06.
Accepted, forthcoming article (template): [Author AA, Author BB]. [Accepted article title]. [Abbreviated Journal Title]. Forthcoming [Year]. doi:[verified DOI, if assigned].
Whole book (template): [Author AA, Author BB]. [Book title]. [Edition, if not first]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year].
Chapter in edited book: Omar S, Van Belle JP. Disaster misinformation management: strategies for mitigating the effects of fake news on emergency response. In: Rocha A, Ferrás C, Hochstetter Diez J, Diéguez Rebolledo M, editors. Information technology and systems: ICITS 2024. Cham: Springer; 2024. p. 308-18. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-54235-0_29.
Chapter in online book (template): [Chapter Author AA]. [Chapter title]. In: [Editor AA], editor. [Book title] [Internet]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year] [cited Year Mon Day]. Chapter [number]. Available from: [stable URL or DOI].
Organizational report or online document: World Bank. Digital progress and trends report 2023 [Internet]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2024 [cited 2025 Sep 10]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40970
Website or homepage (template): [Organization]. [Site name] [Internet]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year or copyright range] [cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: [homepage URL].
Specific webpage: World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory data repository [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2025 [cited 2025 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho
Online dictionary or encyclopedia entry (template): [Reference work title] [Internet]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year]. [Entry title]; [updated Year Mon Day; cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: [entry URL].
Online drug guide entry (template): [Guide title] [Internet]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year]. [Drug name]; [updated Year Mon Day; cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: [entry URL].
Online video (template): [Creator AA or Organization]. [Video title] (video on the internet). [City]: [Publisher]; [Year Mon Day] [cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: video URL
Online image (template): [Creator AA or Organization]. [Image title] [image on the Internet]. [City]: [Publisher]; [Year Mon Day] [cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: [image URL].
Dataset (template): [Creator or organization]. [Dataset title] [dataset]. [Version]. [Repository]; [Year] [cited Year Mon Day]. doi:[persistent dataset DOI].
Thesis (template): [Author AA]. [Thesis title] [master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation]. [City]: [University]; [Year].
Conference paper (template): [Author AA]. [Paper title]. In: [Editor AA], editor. [Proceedings title]; [conference date]; [city]. [Place]: [Publisher]; [Year]. p. [first-last].
Preprint (template): [Author AA]. [Title] [preprint]. [Repository]. [Year] [posted Year Mon Day; cited Year Mon Day]. doi:[preprint DOI].
Guideline or organizational publication (template): [Organization]. [Guideline title] [Internet]. [City]: [Organization]; [Year] [cited Year Mon Day]. Available from: [stable URL].
For online sources without a DOI, use a stable URL and an access date. A DOI generally makes a second URL unnecessary for a journal article; the “[Internet]” qualifier is optional when full journal details and a DOI are supplied. Add publisher and place when identifiable. For formats not listed above, consult the National Library of Medicine’s Citing Medicine and sample references: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7256/ and https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html.
All authors must meet the four ICMJE authorship criteria: substantial contribution; drafting or critical revision; final approval; and accountability for the work. Describe each author’s contribution on the title page. A contributor who does not qualify as an author may be acknowledged with permission. Every author must approve the submitted version. Explain any proposed change in author list, including the reason and written agreement of all affected authors, for editorial consideration. Declare related publications, overlapping data, preprints, and prior conference presentations in the cover letter. A disclosed preprint does not by itself bar submission.
Human research must state the reviewing committee, approval identifier and date if available, and the form of participant consent or documented waiver. If review was not required, explain the relevant determination rather than merely omitting an ethics statement. Animal studies must describe approval and applicable care standards. Obtain explicit written permission to publish identifiable patient information or images, including case reports; mask incidental identifiers and avoid assuming that an eye bar alone ensures anonymity.
Prospectively register any study that assigns people to a health-related intervention to evaluate a health outcome, including a single-arm trial, before the first participant is enrolled. Provide the registry, number, and registration date. If registration was late or absent, disclose this and explain it in the cover letter and manuscript; acceptance is not guaranteed and any exception requires editorial assessment and a transparent publication statement. Ethics approval does not substitute for trial registration.
Every manuscript must include Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, including explicit “no funding” or “no conflicts” statements when true. Describe a sponsor’s role in design, data collection, analysis, writing, and the decision to submit, or state that it had none. For research papers, provide a Data Availability Statement with a repository and persistent link, supplementary files, a clear controlled-access process, or a specific ethical, legal, or privacy reason access is restricted. Cite reused datasets. Clinical trial reports should specify the scope, timing, and conditions of participant-data sharing.
Disclose at submission any generative AI use beyond routine spelling, grammar, or formatting assistance. State the tool, version if known, date of use, purpose, and sections affected in the cover letter and relevant manuscript section. Human authors must verify facts, citations, originality, data, and images and retain full responsibility. AI tools cannot be authors. Never enter confidential participant data or other parties’ unpublished materials into an external AI service without authorization. Methods for AI used as a research instrument must be reported for reproducibility.
Relevant journal policies on peer review, misconduct, corrections, copyright, privacy, and self-archiving are available at https://jsteam.org/peer-review-process/ and https://jsteam.org/editorial-policies/.
J-STEAM is a fully open-access journal with no embargo; all accepted and published articles are immediately available to read, download, and share. It charges an Article Publication Charge (APC) only after a manuscript has completed peer review and been formally accepted. Readers and institutions are never charged for access. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 and authors retain copyright. See our Open Access Policy.
Article Type | APC after acceptance |
Original research | USD 500 |
Systematic review (with or without meta-analysis) or narrative review | USD 800 |
Case report | USD 300 |
Short communication | USD 300 |
Letter to the Editor or Correspondence | No Charge |
Guest editorial | No Charge |
J-STEAM does not charge submission, editorial processing, page, colour-figure, or reprint fees. Authors who withdraw a manuscript before acceptance pay nothing. Authors who withdraw after acceptance pay no withdrawal fee, and no APC is due for a withdrawn article.
We issue an invoice to the corresponding author after acceptance. The article is published once payment, or an approved waiver, is confirmed. Accepted payment methods, e.g., card or bank transfer.
Waivers are available so that cost is not a barrier to publishing. A waiver must be requested in the cover letter at submission. Requests are decided by the editor-in-chief, not by the handling editor or reviewers, and a waiver request does not affect the editorial decision.
Who qualifies | Waiver |
Corresponding author based in a country the World Bank classifies as low-income | 50% |
Corresponding author based in a lower-middle-income country | 50% |
Corresponding author who is a student or trainee with no research funding | 50% |
Other documented financial hardship, reviewed case by case | Up to 50% |
The World Bank income classification in force on the submission date applies. The maximum waiver is 50% of the APC, and only one waiver applies per article. Waivers are not available for articles that report funding covering publication costs.